TH 225 
.S3 P5 
1917 
Copy 1 


CITY OF SALEM, MAS^S. 

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Building Ordinance 






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CITY OF SALEM. MASS. 



BUILDING ORDINANCE 


I. 

CITY OF SALEM. 

In the year one thousand nine hundred and 
seventeen. 

AN ORDINANCE relating to buildings. 

Be it ordained by the City Council of the City 
of Salem, as follows:— 

Section 1. For the purpose of securing the pre¬ 
vention of fire and the preservation of life, health 
and morals, the City Council hereby regulates the 
inspection, materials, construction, alteration, re¬ 
pair, height, area, location and use of buildings, 
and other structures, within the limits of the City 
of Salem, and established fire limits, as hereinafter 
provided. 

Section 2. The Superintendent of Public Prop¬ 
erty shall be the Inspector of buildings who shall 
perform the duties set forth in these ordinances. 
He may subject to the approval of the City Coun¬ 
cil, appoint a deputy who shall assist him in the 
1 





performance of these duties. He shall also keep 
a record of the business of his office, including all 
violations of the ordinances relating to buildings, 
and shall annually on the first day of January, sub¬ 
mit to the City Council, a report of his doings dur¬ 
ing the preceding fiscal year. Said inspector, on being 
informed by report or otherwise that a building or 
other structure or anything attached to or connected 
therewith is unsafe or dangerous to life or limb, 
shall inspect the same, and if it appears to him 
that it is thus dangerous, he shall forthwith take 
such action as the laws of the Commonwealth re¬ 
quire. He shall generally perform such duties as 
may be required of him by law or ordinance. 

Section 3. No building, structure or foundation 
of any sort shall be erected, constructed, repaired 
or materially altered without a permit from the 
Inspector of Buildings. Unless building operations 
are begun within ninety days from the date a per¬ 
mit is issued, said permit shall be void. 

Section 4. An application for a permit must be 
made upon the regular blanks provided for this 
purpose by the City and must be accompanied by 
two sets of full working plans and specifications. 
The application shall be filed with the Inspector 
of Buildings who shall forthwith determine if 
the work proposed conforms to the provisions of 
the statutes of the Commonwealth and the ordi¬ 
nances of the City. 


2 


Section 5. When a permit for building is issued, 
the Inspector shall stamp one set of drawings and 
deliver same to the applicant with his permit. This 
stamped set of drawings shall be kept on the prem¬ 
ises of the building at all times and shall be open 
for examination to the Inspector, or his assistants. 

Section 6. The plans to be filed with the appli¬ 
cation for permit must show the arrangement of 
the lot, and in plan, the design of the exterior, the 
materials of construction and finish and in a gen¬ 
eral way the system of heating to be used, but a 
separate permit must be taken out for heating, 
plumbing, and electric work. Permits for such por¬ 
tions of the work may be applied for after the build¬ 
ing is under way, and shall be granted in the man¬ 
ner provided by ordinance. 

Section 7. No work shall be constructed at 
variance with the said plans and permit without 
the written approval of the Inspector of Buildings. 
The said Inspector shall have the power to stop 
any work in the process of being constructed either 
without a permit or not in conformity to the permit 
granted, and to remove or cause the removal of the 
same at the expense of the owner of the property. 

Section 8. A permit shall be a license, any vio¬ 
lation of the terms of which, shall be deemed ade¬ 
quate cause for its immediate revocation by the 
City Council. 

Section 9. No plans for the erection of build- 
3 


ings shall be considered by the Inspector unless 
they have been prepared by and bear the name of 
an engineer or architect or other person whom the 
Inspector deems competent. 

Section 10. The Inspector shall examine all 
churches, halls, or other buildings or structures, 
used, or intended to be used, temporarily or per¬ 
manently, for any public use, and all school 
houses or school rooms, public or private, and build¬ 
ings used, or intended to be used for manufactur¬ 
ing purposes, and if he finds that any of said 
buildings or rooms are deficient in proper facilities 
or egress, in case of fire or accident, either in num¬ 
ber, width, construction or arrangement of the en¬ 
trances, aisles, passageways, or stairways, or by 
reason of inner doors opening inward, or from 
any other cause whatever, arising from the manner 
of construction, alteration, or repair of the premises, 
he shall at once notify the state inspector of fac¬ 
tories and public buildings. 

Section 11. Whenever it appears to the Inspec¬ 
tor that, if any of the buildings or structures, or 
portions thereof, mentioned in the foregoing section, 
the security of the public is temporarily endangered 
by the use of combustible stuff or materials; or 
that benches, stools, or other obstructions are tem¬ 
porarily placed in the aisles or passageways thereof 
in such manner as to prevent free egress in case of 
fire or accident during the time when the same 


4 


may be opened to the public; or that benches, 
chairs, or settees are temporarily so arranged as 
not to afford proper egress in case of fire or acci¬ 
dent; or that outer doors opening inward are not 
kept open when such buildings or structures are 
used by the public; then, and in either of such 
cases, the Inspector shall notify the person for the 
time being having charge of the premises, and re¬ 
quire such person at once to make the premises 
safe, and if he refuses or neglects to do so, the 
Inspector shall remove the obstructions and prose¬ 
cute the offender. 

Section 12. All outer doors of buildings and * 
structures mentioned in Section 10 of this chapter 
shall be kept open when such buildings or structures 
are used by the public, unless such doors open out¬ 
wards, and except that fly doors opening both ways 
may be kept closed. All inner doors of such build¬ 
ings and structures shall be made so as to open out¬ 
ward, and said inspector is hereby authorized to 
enter any of such buildings or structures at all 
reasonable hours for the purpose of ascertaining 
whether or not any of the provisions of this chap¬ 
ter are being violated. 

Section 13. The City Council shall issue licenses 
to all builders found by them to be qualified and 
competent. The fee for such licenses shall be five 
dollars and all such licenses shall continue in force 
until revoked, provided, however, that in case a 


5 


builder has received a license from the Salem Re¬ 
building Commission, no additional fee shall be 
required for the issuance of a license by the City 
Council. 

Section 14. No building or structure of any 
kind shall be erected except by and under the di¬ 
rection of a builder licensed as aforesaid. Every 
such builder must at all times maintain a suitable 
foreman upon the premises and if required by the 
Inspector of Buildings he must in addition thereto, 
at his own expense, supply necessary inspectors, 
approved by the Inspector of Buildings for the 
supervision of reinforced concrete work, or for any 
other difficult or unusual construction. 

Section 15. Whenever the Inspector of Build¬ 
ings shall reject or refuse to approve the mode or 
manner of construction proposed to be followed, 
or materials to be used in the erection and altera¬ 
tion of any building or structure, or when it is 
claimed that the rules and specifications of the In¬ 
spector of Buildings, or the provisions of this Or¬ 
dinance do not apply, or that an equally good or 
more desirable form of construction can be em¬ 
ployed in any specific case, the owner of such 
building or structure, or his duly authorized agent, 
may appeal within thirty days from the decision of 
the Inspector where the amount involved by such 
decision shall exceed the sum of five hundred dol¬ 
lars to the City Council. 


6 


The decision shall specify the variations allowed 
and the reasons therefor, and shall be filed in the 
office of the Inspector within ten days after the 
hearing. A certified copy shall be sent by mail or 
otherwise to the applicant, and a copy kept publicly 
posted in the office of the Inspector for two weeks 
thereafter. If the order or refusal of the Inspector 
is affirmed, such order or refusal shall have full 
force and effect. If the order or refusal is modi¬ 
fied or annulled, the Inspector shall issue a permit 
in accordance with such decision. 

Section 16. Methods of construction, material 
or maintenance, equivalent to those required by the 
provisions of this ordinance, may be allowed with 
the written consent of the City Council specifying 
the same. A record of the required and the equiva¬ 
lent method allowed shall be kept in the office of. the 
Inspector. Any requirement necessary for the 
strength or stability of any proposed structure or 
for the safety of the occupants thereof, not spe¬ 
cifically covered by this ordinance, shall be deter¬ 
mined by the Inspector subject to appeal. 

Section 17. The provisions of this ordinance 
shall not apply to buildings and structures owned 
or occupied by the United States, the Common¬ 
wealth of Massachusetts, nor to the construction of 
bridges, quays or wharves. 

Section 18. No provision or requirement of this 
■ ordinance shall in any way be construed to alter or 
7 


modify any of the legal regulations, now existing, 
or hereafter enacted and coming under the control 
of the Massachusetts District Police for Regula¬ 
tion and construction of garages and boilers or 
state regulations of elevators. 

Fourth class garages built nearer than five feet 
from lot line shall be in accordance with require¬ 
ments for third class garages. 

The erection, alteration and repair of all build¬ 
ings besides conforming to provisions of this or¬ 
dinance, shall be subject to the statutes of the Com¬ 
monwealth and to all other ordinances of the City 
of Salem not inconsistent therewith. 

Section 19. The fire limits of the City of Salem 
shall include all that part of the city inclosed by 
the following described lines:— Beginning at cor¬ 
ner of Summer and Essex Streets, then running 
southerly through the middle of Summer Street to 
Endicott, then easterly through the middle of En- 
dicott Street to Mill Street, then southerly through 
the middle of Mill Street to Canal Street, then 
southerly through the middle of Canal Street to 
Pond Street, then easterly through the middle of 
Pond Street to Washington Street, then diagonally 
across Washington Street to Harbor Street, then 
easterly through middle of Harbor Street to Con¬ 
gress Street, then northerly through the middle of 
Congress Street to South River, then easterly 
through middle of South River to Union Street, 

8 


then northerly through middle of Union Street to 
Derby Street, then westerly through middle of 
Derby Street to Hawthorne Place, then northerly 
through middle of Hawthorne Place and Washing¬ 
ton Square West to Brown Street, then westerly 
through middle of Brown Street to Howard Street, 
then northerly through middle of Howard Street to 
Boston & Maine railroad tracks, then westerly 
along said tracks to Bridge Street, then westerly 
through middle of Bridge Street to North Street, 
then southerly through middle of North Street to 
Essex Street. 

Section 20. The following terms used in this 
ordinance shall have the meanings assigned in 
this section, viz:— 

Alcove Room. An ^‘alcove room” is an alcove 
used for sleeping purposes. 

“Alteration” means any change or addition other 
than “repairs.” 

A “half story” or attic is any story included in 
the roof, the cubic contents of which, exclusive of 
blind attic not exceeding three feet in height at 
the highest point, is not more than sixty per cent 
of the cubic contents of the first story. 

“Bay window.” A window projecting beyond 
the outer face of a wall which may or may not be 
built upon a foundation. 

A “basement” is a story partly underground but 
having at least sixty per cent of its height above 
9 


the curb level, and also sixty per cent of its height 
above the highest level of the adjoining ground. A 
basement shall be counted as a story. 

“Builder” means a builder licensed in accordance 
with the provisions of this chapter. 

A “cellar” is a story having more than forty per 
cent of its height below the curb level, or below the 
highest level of the adjoining ground. A cellar 
shall not be counted as a story for purposes of 
height measurement. If any part of the story is in 
that part the equivalent of a basement or cellar, 
the provisions of this ordinance relative to base¬ 
ments and cellars shall apply to such part of said 
story. 

Classes of Dwellings: For the purposes of this 
ordinance, dwellings are divided into the following 
classes: (a) “Private dwellings”, (b) “two-family 
dwellings”, and (c) “multiple dwellings.” 

(a) . A “private dwelling” is a dwelling occu¬ 
pied by one family only. 

(b) A “two-family dwelling” is a dwelling oc¬ 
cupied by two families only. 

(c) A “multiple dwelling” is a dwelling occu¬ 
pied otherwise than as a private-dwelling or two- 
family dwelling. 

Classes of multiple dwellings. All multiple 
dwellings for the purposes of this ordinance, are 
divided into.two classes, viz.: Class A and Class B. 

Class A. Multiple dwellings of Class A are 
10 


dwellings which are occupied more or less perma¬ 
nently for residence purposes by several families 
and in which the rooms are occupied in apartments, 
suites or groups. This class includes tenement 
houses, flats, apartment houses, apartment hotels, 
bachelor apartments, kitchenette apartments and all 
other dwellings similarly occupied, whether spe¬ 
cifically enumerated or not. 

Class B. Multiple dwellings of Class B are 
dwellings which are occupied, as a rule transiently, 
as the more or less temporary abiding place of more 
than six individuals who are lodged, with or with¬ 
out meals, and in which as a rule the rooms are 
occupied singly. This class includes hotels, lodg¬ 
ing-houses, furnished-room houses, boarding¬ 
houses, lodgings, club-houses, dormitories, con¬ 
vents, private hospitals, private asylums, and all 
other dwellings similarly occupied, whether spe¬ 
cifically enumerated herein or not. A “hotel” is a 
building in which persons are lodged for hire, and 
in which there are more than forty rooms, a public 
dining room for the accommodation of at least 
forty guests, and a general kitchen. National, 
state and county institutions are exempt from the 
provisions of this ordinance. 

Courts. A “court” is an open, unoccupied space, 
other than a yard, on the same lot with a dwelling. 
A court not extending to the street or front or rear 
or side yard is an inner court. A court extending 
11 


to the street or front or rear or side yard is an outer 
court. 

Common Hallway. A “Common hallway” is a 
hallway, corridor or passage-way not within the ex¬ 
clusive control of one family. 

Curb level. The “Curb level” is the level of the 
established curb in front of the building measured 
at the centre of such front. Where no curb has 
been established, the City Engineer shall establish 
such curb level or its equivalent for the purposes 
of this ordinance. 

Curtain wall. Any exterior wall between col¬ 
umns or piers. 

Dwelling. A “dwelling” is any house or build¬ 
ing or portion thereof which is occupied in whole 
or in part, as a home, residence or sleeping-place 
of one or more persons, either permanently or tran¬ 
siently. 

“Exterior wall” means that part of the outer 
wall of a building, other than a party wall, above 
the foundation wall. 

“First floor”, “second floor”, and “third floor”, 
means the first, second and third floors respectively 
above the cellar or basement, or above the ground 
where there is no cellar or basement. 

“Foundation wall” means that portion of the 
cuter wall of a building, other than a party wall, 
below the level of the ground outside said wall. 

“Fire door” means a door of Standard construc- 
12 


tion, that is, constructed of pine or other soft wood 
of two thicknesses of J/g inch matched boards, 
clinch-nailed, at right angles, or placed diagonally 
with each other, and securely covered with tin, on 
both sides and edges, with folded lapped joints, 
the nails for fastening the same being driven in¬ 
side the lap; the hinges and bolts, or latches, shall 
be secured or fastened to the door or shutter by 
wrought-iron bolts, passing through the door or 
shutter, and secured by nuts and washers on the op¬ 
posite side after the same has been covered with 
the tin, and such doors or shutters shall be hung 
upon a wrought-iron frame, independent of the 
wood-work of the windows and doors, or to 
wrought-iron hinges securely fastened in the ma¬ 
sonry. 

Front, rear and depth of lot. The “front” of a 
“lot” is that boundary line which borders on the 
street. In the case of a corner lot the owner may 
elect by statement on his plans either street bound¬ 
ary line as the front. The “depth” of a “lot” is 
the dimension measured from the front of the lot 
to the extreme rear line of the lot. In the case of 
irregularly shaped lots the mean depth shall be 
taken. 

Height. The “height” of a dwelling is the per¬ 
pendicular distance measured in a straight line 
from the curb level, or from the finished grade line 
of the lot where such grade is higher than the curb, 
13 


to the average of the height of the gable in the case 
of pitched roofs, and to the highest point of the 
roof beams in the case of flat roofs, except that in 
the case of flat roofs a parapet exceeding three feet 
in height shall be considered a part of the height 
of the building, the measurements in all cases to be 
taken through the center of the front of the house. 
Where a dwelling is on a corner lot and there is 
more than one grade or curb level, the measure¬ 
ments shall be taken through the center of the 
front on the street having the lowest elevation. 

‘^Inspector” means the Inspector of Buildings 
for the City of Salem and his assistants. 

“Lots.” A “corner lot” is a lot situated at the 
junction of two or more intersecting streets. A lot 
other than a corner lot is an “interior lot.” 

“Lodging house”, means a building in which 
more than six persons' are accommodated with 
sleeping apartments for hire, and includes hotels 
and apartment houses where cooking is not done 
in the several apartments. 

“Party wall” means every wall used, or built in 
order to be used, for joint service between two 
buildings. 

“Partition wall” means any interior wall of ma¬ 
sonry in a building. 

“Person” means any person, firm of corporation. 

“Repairs” means the reconstruction or renewal 
of any existing part of a building or of its fixtures 
or appurtenances, by which the strength or fire risk 
14 


is affected or changed, and made for the purpose 
of converting the building in whole or in part 
into a new one. 

A “stair hallway” is a common hallway and in¬ 
cludes the stairs, stair landings and those portions 
of the building through which it is necessary to 
pass in going between the entrance floor and the 
roof. 

“Tenement house” means a building which, or 
any portion of which, is occupied, or intended to 
be occupied, as a dwelling by more than three fam¬ 
ilies living independently of one another and doing 
their cooking upon the premises, or by more than 
two families above the second floor, so living and 
cooking. 

“Thickness” of a wall means the minimum thick¬ 
ness of such wall. 

Yards. A “rear yard” is an open, unoccupied 
space on the same lot with a dwelling between the 
extreme rear lines of the house and the extreme 
rear line of the lot. A “front yard” is an open un¬ 
occupied space between the front line of the house 
and the front line of the lot. A “side yard” is an 
open, unoccupied space between the side line of the 
house and the side line of the lot extending from 
the street on front yard to the rear yard. 

The expression “warehouse class” shall be taken 
to mean and include the following buildings: 


15 


Armories 
Carriages 
Churches 
Court Houses 
Fire Stations 
Jails 
Libraries 
Markets 
Museums 
Warehouses 
Conservatories 


Office buildings 
Police Stations 
Printing houses 
Public Assembly halls 
Pumping Stations 
Railroad and railway 
Railroad and Railway 
buildings 

Refrigerating houses 
Slaughter houses 
Stores 
Stables 


CLASSIFICATION AND ERECTION OF 
BUILDINGS. 


Section 21. All buildings to be erected must be 
built in conformity to the requirements of the par¬ 
ticular class to which said buildings belong as 
shown by the classification in the preceding sections. 

Section 22. (a) A first class building shall con¬ 
sist of fireproof material throughout, including 
walls, partitions, floors, etc. 

In such construction wood may be used only for 
finished floors, inside finish, windows and doors 
and isolated furring. 

(b) A second class building shall mean any 
building not of the first class whose external and 
party walls are constructed of self-sustaining, in¬ 
combustible material including cornices, etc. In- 
16 


terior partitions, floors and roof framing may be 
of wood. 

A second class building shall be limited to five 
stories of sixty-five feet in height. 

(c) A mill frame building shall mean any 
building without hollow or concealed spaces; hav¬ 
ing wood frame covered with suitable boarding 
and slate or asbestos, metal, or other incombustible 
material for exposed surfaces; with roofs of two and 
three-quarters inch splined or tongued and grooved 
planking spiked directly to heavy roof timbers not 
less than six inches in the least dimension, covered 
with metal or other approved incombustible roof 
covering; having solid floors, without unprotected 
openings, constructed of not less than two and 
three-quarters inch splined, or tongued and grooved 
planking covered with one inch top flooring laid 
crosswise or diagonally, properly nailed and having 
between the top flooring and the planking not less 
than two thicknesses of waterproof material care¬ 
fully laid to break joints and flashed at least three 
inches around all walls, posts or columns with 
mouldings or mop-boards; in which the size 
and spacing of floor timbers is suitable for the load 
to be carried, the timbers in no case being less than 
seven and one-half inches in the least dimension, 
and resting on top of girders, or on stirrups, or 
on iron or steel plates in the walls, or on iron or 
steel caps of columns; with girders resting on iron 
17 


or steel caps of columns, or steel plates in the walls, 
arranged so as to be self releasing, with columns 
and posts resting on metal socket caps and bases 
with raised lip and center pin the size and spacing 
thereof being suitable for the load to be carried, 
no wooden column or post being less than seven 
and one-half inches in the least dimension, and all 
, columns, girders and beams of wood being of solid 
material and those of iron or steel being protected 
in a manner satisfactory to the Inspector. 

A mill frame building shall be limited to four 
stories in height and not less than five feet from 
lot lines unless walls within such distances are con¬ 
structed of self-sustaining incombustible material. 

(d) Ordinary frame shall mean any building 
whose exterior walls, partitions, floor and roof 
framing are wood with finished exterior wall sur¬ 
faces of wood. 

Section 23. A third class building shall mean a 
residence arranged to accommodate more than two 
families. If not over two and one-half stories high 
and accommodating not more than four families it 
may be built in the manner prescribed for fourth 
class houses, but must have wood stud partitions 
between each suite and about the stairways covered 
on both sides with metal lath and hard plaster and 
filled solid with brick or other equally incombus¬ 
tible material extending from masonry walls in 
cellar up to the under side of roof boarding and 
18 


pierced only from stair halls. If more than two 
and one-half stories in height and accommodating 
more than two families, it shall be constructed in 
the same manner as provided for second class 
buildings, and shall have wood stud partitions be¬ 
tween suites and about the stairways metal lathed 
and plastered both sides and filled solid with some 
incombustible material in same manner as described 
above, and between every other suite the partition 
shall be an unpierced fire wall extending from cel¬ 
lar bottom to three feet above the roof and from 
front to rear of same thickness as exterior walls 
but in no case less than twelve inches in thickness. 

Section 24. A fourth class building shall mean 
a residence arranged to accommodate one or two 
families and may be constructed with an ordinary 
frame. 

Section 25. A fifth class building shall mean a 
building used both for habitation and mercantile 
purposes. If it is arranged to accommodate not 
more than one family and is not more than two 
and one-half stories in height nor more than one 
thousand five hundred feet in area it may be con¬ 
structed with an ordinary frame, but the exterior 
shall be covered throughout with some approved, 
incombustible material. 

If it is arranged to accommodate more than one 
family or is more than two and one-half stories in 
height or more than one thousand five hundred 


19 


feet in area it shall be Of either first or second class 
construction, and not more than four stories or fifty- 
four feet in height. 

Section 26. A sixth class building shall mean 
any structure intended for use for manufacturing, 
storage or mill purposes. 

They may be of either first, second or mill frame 
class of construction. 

Section 2^. Miscellaneous class shall be any 
structure not classified such as sheds, hen houses, 
etc. not exceeding one story or twelve feet in 
height and covering not more than two hundred 
and fifty feet may be built under the same re¬ 
quirements and restrictions as fourth class build¬ 
ings. 

A building used for commercial, manufacturing, 
storage or mill purposes outside the fire limits not 
less than five feet from lot lines, not exceeding one 
story or twenty feet in height and covering not 
more than one thousand five hundred square feet 
of land may be built with an ordinary frame with 
the exterior walls and cornices covered with slate, 
tile, metal or some equally incombustible material. 

Section 28. Stables to accommodate not more 
than four horses may be constructed same as re¬ 
quired for residences of the fourth class. Stables 
to accommodate more than four horses shall be of 
construction same as required for buildings of the 
first or second class or with mill framed walls not 


20 


less than five feet from lot lines, the exterior of 
which are covered throughout with slate, tile, metal 
or other equally incombustible material. 

Section 29. No portion of any stable, nor of 
any building used wholly or in part for purposes 
of human habitation except cornices, shall be built 
nearer than five feet to the side line of adjoining lot 
or nearer than ten feet to any building on the same 
lot, unless the walls of such building within such 
distances are constructed of brick, concrete or other 
equally incombustible material not less than eight 
inches thick, without openings, carried at least 
twelve inches above the roof, and properly capped 
with incombustible material. No building used 
wholly or in part for human habitation shall cover 
more than seventy-five per cent of the lot or if 
more than one building is constructed on a single 
lot the combined areas of the buildings shall not 
exceed seventy-five per cent of the total area of the 
lot, except that in the case of a corner lot eighty 
per cent of the lot may be so covered. The pur¬ 
chase or sale of land after a building is built with 
exposures as aforesaid shall not permit a reduction 
in the width of open spaces required by this sec¬ 
tion. 

Section 30. All excavations shall be so protected, 
by sheet piling or other suitable means, by the per¬ 
sons causing the same to be made, as to prevent 
the same from becoming dangerous to life or limb. 


21 


Whenever an excavation is to be made for any- 
building or other purpose, and there shall be any 
wall or structure wholly or partly on the adjoining 
land near the intended excavation, then the party 
causing such excavation to be made shall notify 
the owner of said adjoining premises of such in¬ 
tended excavation and also of the depth to which it 
is proposed to be made. 

Section 31. Where no test of the sustaining 
power of the soil is made, different soils, excluding 
mud, at the bottom of the footings, shall be deemed 
safely to sustain the following loads to the super¬ 
ficial foot, namely: soft clay, one ton per square 
foot; ordinary clay and sand together, in layers, 
wet and springy, one and one-half tons per square 
foot; very firm, coarse sand, stiff gravel or hard 
clay four tons per square foot. Where a test is 
made of the sustaining power of the soil, the Build¬ 
ing Inspector shall be notified and a record of the 
test shall be filed. 

Section 32. Every building shall have suitable 
foundations of brick, stone, iron, steel or concrete 
on solid earth or rock, or upon piles where solid 
earth is not found. Any temporary frame building 
or shed may rest on a temporary foundation. Foun¬ 
dations shall not be built in wet soil unless the 
trenches in which the work is being executed are 
kept free from water, if such is possible, until after 
the completion of the work upon the foundations. 

22 


Foundations of rubble stone laid in cement mortar 
will be allowed only under buildings less than fifty 
(50) feet in height, and for a depth not exceeding 
ten (10) feet. 

Section 33. Piles intended to sustain a wall, pier 
or post shall be spaced not more than thirty-six nor 
less than twenty inches on centers, and they shall be 
driven to a solid bearing, if practicable to do so, 
and the number of such piles shall be sufficient to 
support the proposed superstructure. No pile shall 
be used of less dimensions than five inches at the 
small end and ten inches at the butt for piles less 
than twenty feet in length. No pile shall be 
weighted with a load exceeding forty thousand 
pounds. When a pile is not driven to refusal its 
safe sustaining power shall be determined by the 
following formula: twice the weight of the ham¬ 
mer in tons multiplied by the height of the fall in 
feet divided by the penetration of pile under the 
last blow in inches plus one. The Building In¬ 
spector shall be notified of the time when test piles 
will be driven. The tops of all piles shall be cut 
off below the lowest water line as determined by 
the Building Inspector. 

In case concrete piles are used, whether rein¬ 
forced or not, their bearing power shall be deter¬ 
mined by putting in one or more test piles and 
loading them after the concrete has hardened. The 
load allowed shall not be more than one-half the 


23 


load under which the pile begins to settle. In 
no case, however, shall the load on a concrete pile 
exceed that allowed for concrete in columns. 

All wooden piles shall be capped with block 
granite levelers, each leveler having a firm bearing 
on the pile or piles which it covers, or with first 
class Portland cement concrete, not less than six¬ 
teen inches thick, above the pile caps, containing 
one part of cement to not more than six parts of 
properly graded aggregate of stone and sand, the 
concrete to be filled in around the pile heads upon 
the intervening earth. 

Section 34. Metal in foundations and all struc¬ 
tural metal work underground, or in places ex¬ 
posed to wet or dampness, shall be protected from 
corrosion by concrete or other material approved 
by the Inspector. 

All foundations shall extend at least three and 
one-half feet below any adjoining surface exposed 
to frost unless they rest on bed rock, they shall 
reach through loam or fill to undisturbed natural 
earth or shall rest on piles. No foundation shall 
be started on frozen ground. Column and pier 
foundations shall be installed at the same time as 
wall foundations and all permanent columns and 
piers shall be installed as the work progresses ready 
to receive the superstructure, temporary shores or 
columns shall not be allowed. 

Section 35. For wooden buildings not over one 
24 


and one-half stories in height, the foundation 
walls shall not be less than sixteen inches thick, 
if of stone, and not less than twelve inches if of 
brick or concrete; the underpinning walls shall 
be not less than twelve inches thick if of stone and 
not less than eight inches- thick if of brick or con¬ 
crete. For wooden buildings not over two and 
one-half stories in height, the foundation walls shall 
be not less than sixteen inches thick, if of stone, or 
twelve inches thick if of brick or concrete. The 
underpinning walls shall be not less than twelve 
inches thick if of stone, nor less than twelve inches 
thick if of brick, and not less than eight inches 
thick if of concrete. If stone walls are used in 
the basement of any such structure as provided in 
this section, they shall be at least four inches thicker 
than the thickness prescribed for concrete and brick 
in the table set forth in Section 39. 

Section 36. All brick buildings shall have foun¬ 
dation walls built of stone, brick, concrete, iron or 
steel, and all such walls if of stone or brick shall 
be laid up with cement mortar. If built of rubble 
or block stone, they shall be not less than eighteen 
inches thick and not less than eight inches thicker 
than the wall next above them to a depth of six 
feet below the curb or ground level, and if built 
of brick or concrete shall be not less than four 
inches thicker than the wall next above them to a 
like depth below the curb or ground level. The 


25 


thickness of all walls below said six feet shall be 
increased one inch for every foot or fraction thereof. 
Grillage beams of wrought iron or steel resting on 
a proper concrete bed may be used for founda¬ 
tions. Such beams shall be provided with sepa¬ 
rators and bolts, enclosed and filled between with 
concrete, and of such sizes and so arranged as to 
carry safely the load imposed. 

Section 37. Cement and lime mortar shall be 
made of one part of lime, one part of cement and 
not more than three parts sand to each. Cement 
mortar shall be made of cement and sand in the 
proportion of one part of cement and not more 
than three parts of sand, and shall be used imme¬ 
diately after being mixed. The cement and sand 
are to be measured and thoroughly mixed before 
adding water. All mortar below grade in masonry 
buildings shall be cement mortar, for all other ma¬ 
sonry cement and lime mortar may be used. 

Section 38. In every brick wall, at least every 
sixth course of brick shall be a full heading course, 
except where walls are faced with face brick, in 
which case every sixth course shall be bonded with 
fiemish headers, or every other brick may have a 
metal tie. All heading courses shall be of good, 
hard, perfect brick. 

Ashlar facing shall not be counted as a part of 
the thickness of masonry walls unless such facing 
has alternate courses at least eight inches deep and 
bonded into the backing, then four inches may be- 
26 


counted as a part of the wall. No brick wall 
faced with ashlar or other material shall be less 
than twelve inches thick. 

No wall or walls of any masonry building shall 
be carried up more than two stories in advance of 
any other wall. 

Section 39. The minimum thickness for all out¬ 
side, party and division brick or concrete walls 
above foundations for tenement houses, asylums, 
club houses, convents, lodging houses,* parish houses, 
schools and studios, shall not be less than the num¬ 
ber of inches shown in the following table, except 
non-bearing division walls in tenement and dwell¬ 
ing houses may be four inches less in thickness, 
but in no case less than eight inches nor of a greater 
height unsupported laterally than twenty-eight 
times its thickness. Fire walls shall in no case be 
less than twelve inches in thickness and solid 
throughout. 

In buildings where the first story is used for mer¬ 
cantile purposes and stories above used for habi¬ 
tation, the first and basement stories to be in ac- 


cordance with 

Section 

40, 

other 

stories 

in accor- 

dance with this Section. 





B 

1 

2 

3 

4 5 

1 story 

12" 

8" 




2 stories 

12" 

12" 

8" 


1 

3 stories 

12" 

12" 

12" 

8" 


4 stories 

16" 

12" 

12" 

12" 

8" 

5 stories 

20" 

16" 

12" 

12" 

12" 8" 



27 





Dwellings of the third class of two and one- 
half stories or less in height and dwellings of the 
fourth class may be constructed of walls of mini¬ 
mum thickness of eight inches or with block con¬ 
struction of corresponding strength. 

Section 40. The minimum thickness for all 
outside, party and division brick or concrete walls 
above the foundations of any building of the ware¬ 
house class shall not be less than the number of 
inches shown in the following table: 



B 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 story 

12 

12 





2 stories 

16 

12 

12 




3 stories 

16 

16 

12 

12 



4 stories 

20 

16 

16 

12 

12 


5 stories 

20 

20 

16 

16 

12 

12 


Curtain walls may be four inches less in thick¬ 
ness than shown in table above but in no case less 
than 8 inches provided buttresses are installed at 
no greater distance apart than any one story. 

Buildings of this class outside of the fire limits 
not exceeding one story or twelve feet in height 
which under this ordinance could be of wood may 
have masonry walls 8 inches thick. 

Section 41. The height of stories for the thick¬ 
ness of walls given shall not exceed for the first 
story sixteen feet in the clear, for the second story, 
28 


fourteen feet in the clear, for the third story, 
twelve feet in the clear, for the fourth story, eleven 
feet in the clear; and if any story exceeds the fore¬ 
going height, the walls of any such story shall be 
increased four inches in thickness. 

Section 42. For buildings in the warehouse class, 
twenty-six feet or less in width between walls or 
bearings, the minunum thickness in inches of all 
independent surrounding or dividing walls, in the 
same carrying the loads of floors shall not be less 
than specified in Section 40. When the above walls 
are used for party walls in non-fireproof buildings, 
the twelve inch sections of the walls shall have 
corbeled ledges to carry the ends of the beams, or 
be increased in thickness to not less than sixteen 
inches, and the beams entering the walls shall be 
staggered. If the beams do not rest on corbeled 
edges, or are not so staggered, the twelve and six¬ 
teen inch sections of the wall shall be increased to 
not less than twenty inches. When used for party 
walls in fireproof buildings, no portion of the walls 
shall be less than sixteen inches in thickness. 

Section 43. The front, rear, and party walls of 
any building hereafter to be erected, shall be an¬ 
chored to each other every ten feet in their height, 
by tie anchors, made of at least one and a quarter 
inch by three-eighths of an inch wrought iron. The 
said anchors shall be built into the side or party 
walls not less than thirty-six inches; and into the 


29 


front and rear walls at least one-half the thickness 
of the front and rear walls so as to secure the front 
and rear walls to the side and party walls. All 
party walls shall be carried up to a height of not 
less than two and one-half feet above the roof cov¬ 
ering, with the full thickness of the party wall, 
and shall be capped with stone or iron, securely 
fastened; and where there is a flat, hip or pitch 
roof, the party wall shall be carried up to a height 
of not less than two and one-half feet above the 
roof covering, at every part of said roof, and shall 
be corbelled at least twelve inches, or into the 
outer edge of all projections on the front or rear 
walls of the buildings. 

Section 44. If it becomes desirable to cut a door¬ 
way through any party wall separating two build¬ 
ings, a notice of the intention to do so shall be 
filed with the Inspector of Buildings. Said door¬ 
way shall be closed by two sets of self-closing 
wrought iron or metal covered fire doors, hung to 
rebated iron frames, and separated by the thickness 
of the wall. And whenever such doorway ceases 
to be used, it shall be immediately filled up with 
masonry. 

Section 45. No continuous vertical recess of 
more than four inches in depth shall be made in 
any twelve inch party wall, and no recess of any 
kind shall be made in any eight-inch party wall. 
All such chases shall be filled in solid at each floor 
level and 5" above. 


30 


Section 46. All piers shall be built of stone, or 
of hard, well burnt brick, and laid in cement mor¬ 
tar well wet when laid. Isolated brick piers under all 
lintels, girders, iron or other columns shall have a 
cap-stone at least twelve inches thick, or plate of 
iron two inches thick, and full size of the pier. 
For an external brick pier, the plate may be re¬ 
duced sufficiently in size to allow four inches of 
brick work to intervene between the edge or edges 
of the plate, and the face or faces of the pier ex¬ 
posed to the weather. Columns supported by brick 
walls or piers shall rest upon an iron plate or upon 
a granite cap-stone at least twelve inches thick, of 
a size satisfactory to the Inspector of Buildings. 
Under metal columns, in all cases there shall be an 
iron plate of not less than one and one-half inches 
in thickness. 

Section 47. In all buildings over sixty feet deep 
without a cross wall, of proper piers and buttresses, 
reinforcing the walls, the walls shall be increased 
in thickness four inches more than is specified for 
the thickness of the walls for every sixty feet in 
depth. 

\ Section 48. If the clear span between walls from 
wall to partition or bearing opposite is to be over 
twenty-six feet, then the bearing walls shall be in¬ 
creased four inches in thickness for every thirteen 
feet or fraction thereof that the said span is over 
twenty-six feet; or instead of increased thickness 

31 






of walls, piers or buttresses may be incorporated in 
the walls to the satisfaction of the Inspector of 
Buildings. 

Section 49. If any horizontal section through 
any part of a bearing wall of any building shows 
an excess in area of flues and openings, the said 
bearing wall shall be increased in thickness to the 
satisfaction of the Inspector of Buildings. 

Section 50. Fire walls and party walls over fif¬ 
teen feet high shall have parapet walls not less 
than eight inches in thickness and carried two feet 
above the roof unless otherwise provided in this 
chapter, but for warehouses, factories, stores, and 
other buildings used for commercial or manufac¬ 
turing purposes, the parapet walls shall be not 
less than twelve inches in thickness. 

Section 51. All roof or floor timbers of wood 
entering the sarne party or fire wall from opposite 
sides shall have at least six inches of solid brick¬ 
work between the sides or ends of said timbers, and 
to have at least eight inches of brickwork beyond 
end of timbers. 

Section 52. All lintels used to support walls or 
other weights over openings, shall be of sufficient 
strength and bearing to carry the superimposed 
weight, and shall, where supported at the end by 
brick walls or piers, rest upon a steel plate of 
proper size and thickness to distribute the load. 

Section 53. No timber shall be used in any wall 
32 



of any building where stone, brick or iron is com¬ 
monly used. No wooden lintels for supporting 
masonry shall be allowed under any circumstances. 

All structural metal supporting masonry shall 
have protecting covering of brick, terra cotta or 
concrete installed in an approved manner. Bottom 
of lintels shall have two-inch protection outstand¬ 
ing edges of plates and flanges one-inch, webs two 
inches. All colmnns supporting masonry shall have 
at least two-inch protection. 

Section 54. All new buildings exceeding two 
stories in height to be used for manufacturing, 
storage or mill purposes shall have a sprinkler sys¬ 
tem installed which shall be in accordance with 
rules and requirements of the regulations of the 
National Board of Fire Underwriters governing 
the installation of Automatic and Open Sprinkler 
Equipments, Edition of 1915. 

Section 55. All chimneys, whether within or 
without the fire limits, shall be built of brick, or 
other fireproof, incombustible material, and in no 
case shall rest upon any flooring without a footing 
of masonry or iron supported by iron beams, hav¬ 
ing a secure bearing of masonry or iron at either 
end. All chimneys shall be constructed with either 
eight inch brick walls or with four inch brick work 
and a terra cotta flue lining set in cement. Brick 
chimneys shall be smoothly plastered with mortar 
on the outside below the roofing. In no case shall 
33 


a nail be driven into the masonry of any flue. All 
flues shall be guarded by either a double collar of 
metal or a recess, leaving two inches of space 
around the flue. No drain pipe or earthern ware 
of any description shall be used for horizontal flues, 
but all flues of this kind shall be made of iron pipe 
laid in brick and mortar, or a double galvanized 
iron pipe; the air space between the pipes to be not 
less than two inches. All flues shall be topped 
out at least four feet above the roof of the building 
in which they belong, and all chimneys shall be 
covered with a cap of metal or stone properly se¬ 
cured. No soft brick shall be used on the exterior 
above the roof or on the interior within three feet 
of the roofing in the construction of chimneys. No 
smoke-pipe or flue shall project through any ex¬ 
ternal wall or through any window, door or other 
opening in said wall, and no stove funnel shall 
project through any partition or floor unless the 
same is safely and securely surrounded by brick 
or stonework. Hearths or fireplaces or grates shall 
not be less than eight inches thick and shall be 
laid upon brick or other trimmed arches, or upon 
bars of iron supporting a bed of brickwork. 

Section 56. All funnel receivers shall be built 
into the chimneys at the time of their construction. 
All chimneys shall have at their base an ash door, 
or some opening sufficient to enable them to be 
readily cleaned. If any chimney, flue or heating 
34 


apparatus shall be dangerous or unsafe, the In¬ 
spector shall at once notify, in writing, the owner, 
agent or other party, having an interest in said 
premises, and shall require him to make safe, im¬ 
mediately. All woodwork shall be kept away at 
least two inches from any chimney. 

Section 57. In no part of the City shall any 
building be erected hereafter, in which chimneys, 
boilers or heating apparatus of any kind are used, 
or are to be erected and maintained, nor shall any 
alterations be made in chimneys, or flues already 
erected, without notice to the Inspector before such 
changes or alterations are commenced, and this 
provision shall apply to all buildings raised, moved 
or built upon. 

Section 58. In all cases where ranges or boilers 
are set, the outside of the flue to the same shall be 
plastered on the outside directly upon the bricks 
up to the ceiling of the room, and no woodwork 
shall be placed on the outside thereof. 

Section 59. Depositions for ashes in the interior 
or attached to the exterior of any building shall 
be built of incombustible material throughout. 

Section 60. In all cases where hot water, steam, 
hot air, or other furnaces or ranges are hereafter 
placed, or their location changed in any building, 
due notice shall be first given to the Inspector by 
the person or persons placing such furnace or 
range in said building. 


35 




Section 61. No wood-work shall be placed at a 
less distance than one inch from any tin or other 
metal flue, or flues, pipe or pipes, used or intended 
to be used, to convey heated air in any building,' 
unless protected by a soapstone or earthern ring or 
tube, or metal casing so constructed as to permit , 
the free circulation of air around said flues or ' 
pipes. ; 

Section 62. Fourth class buildings are not re- i 
quired to have more than one means of egress from 
the upper story, but all other buildings of all * 
classes shall have at least two stair cases from each j 
story located to the satisfaction of the Inspector, j 

Section 63. In all third class buildings thej 
stairways shall throughout be protected by the walls ; 
being nogged or filled solid with terra cotta, con- i 
Crete or other incombustible material filled in be- " 
tween the wood construction, and the plastering in ’ 
such staircase halls, including the soffits of stairs, 
shall be on metal lath. 

Section 64. Every building used for manufactur- 
ing, storage or mill purposes shall have means of 
egress satisfactory to the Inspector with at least 
two stairways from each story located as far apart 
as possible but in no case more than one hundred 
feet apart. If the building is more than two stories 
in height there shall be in addition centrally lo¬ 
cated a tower stairs entered independently from 
each story from without, and enclosed by walls of 
36 


fireproof construction throughout. No winders 
shall be allowed. The stairs in this tower may be 
of w^ood, provided they are properly fire stopped 
and the soffits thereof are wire lathed and plas¬ 
tered throughout, including under the landings. 

Section 65. In all buildings intended or used for 
manufacturing, storage or mill purposes, all verti¬ 
cal shaft openings in floors shall be thoroughly 
stopped or enclosed by fireproof partitions with fire 
doors giving access and egress thereto. A brick 
nogged partition plastered on wire lath will be con¬ 
sidered as being fireproof for this purpose. 

Section 66. No exterior fire escapes of the grille 
type will be permitted on any building. Exits 
must be sufficient in number and arrangement to 
afford safety to the occupants, and be satisfactory 
to the Inspector. 

Section 67. Bay windows in first or second class 
buildings, must be constructed entirely of fireproof 
materials. 

Section 68. In connection with buildings, the 
walls of which are required to be covered with 
slate, tile, metal or other incombustible material, 
this protection shall apply to all finish at the cor¬ 
ners of walls and to all cornices and rake mould¬ 
ings. If metal is used for this purpose it must be of 
weight, construction and form of application, ap¬ 
proved by the Inspector of buildings. 

Section 69. In any building intended or used 
37 


for manufacturing, storage, or mill purposes, all 
opening in walls nearer than seven and one-half 
feet to the line of the adjoining lot or nearer than 
fifteen feet to any other building on the same lot 
shall be fitted with metal or metal covered doors 
and frames, sash with windows of metal or metal 
covered frames and glazed with wire glass. 

Section 70. In buildings of first or second class 
construction used for other than human habitation 
all window openings, which are in a wall nearer 
than five feet to the line of an adjoining lot or 
nearer than ten feet to any other building on the 
same lot shall have metal or metal covered frames 
and doors or sash, and such sash shall be glazed 
with wire glass. 

Section 71. In all buildings exceeding one story 
in height, the first story of which is used for com¬ 
mercial, mercantile or manufacturing purposes and 
above the first story as a place of public assembly, 
offices or habitation shall have all walls and ceil¬ 
ings of basement and first story plastered with 
Portland cement plaster applied on metal lath or 
sheet metal applied on gypsum plaster boards. 

Connections bbtween the mercantile and other 
portions shall be only through standard, self-closing 
fire doors. 

If only a portion of the first story is so used, 
this protection shall apply only to that portion of 
basement and first floor so used. 


38 


Section 72. Spaces between and behind all fur¬ 
ring on masonry walls shall be filled solid with 
brick and mortar or other incombustible material 
for a space of five inches in height above floor 
beams. Spaces between studding of all exterior 
walls other than masonry shall be stopped with 
similar material from the bottom of the floor beams 
to five inches above the top of same. Filling mater¬ 
ial may be supported on strips of wood nailed be¬ 
tween the studding. Where walls are studded off, 
the space between the inside face-of the wall and 
the studding shall be fire-stopped with fireproof 
material placed on the underside of the wood beams 
above for a depth of not less than four inches, and 
securely supported on the beams directly over the 
studded-off space shall be fire-stopped with not less 
than four inches of fire proof material, which may 
be laid on boards cut in between the beams. The 
Building Inspector must be notified when any struc¬ 
ture is ready for lathing. 

Section 73. Spaces between parts of the floor 
beams that rest upon bearing stud partitions shall 
be filled in solid with incombustible material to the 
depth of the beams, and where the partition con¬ 
tinues above the floor, to a height of five inches 
above the top of the beams. Spaces between string¬ 
ers of stairs and beams of landings, unless unceiled 
or of fire proof construction, shall be stopped solid 
with wood, brick, or terra cotta, or other approved 


39 


material as often as twice to each flight of stairs. 
The various forms of construction tending to create 
or form air passages from one story to another such 
as spaces around pipes, ventilating shafts or chim¬ 
neys, shall have a fire and smoke stop at each floor, 
of incombustible material. 

Section 74. All vertical shafts whether for pass¬ 
age of merchandise, for heating or ventilation, for 
elevators, dumb waiters, lifts, or for light or air, 
pipes, wires and other similar purposes shall be con¬ 
structed in such manner as to be fire-resisting 
throughout, if of other than first class construc¬ 
tion, spaces between any wooden studs or furrings 
must be filled solid with gypsum, cement or terra 
cotta blocks in addition to which the inner surface 
must be plastered throughout with Portland cement 
plaster upon metal lath. All openings into such 
shafts must be protected by metal or metal covered 
doors, shutters, or windows, and where glass is 
used in such openings, it must be wire glass. All 
clothes and dust chutes shall be lined with metal 
in addition to the above requirements for shafts. 

Section 75. Every furnace, boiler or steam heat¬ 
ing apparatus shall be thoroughly protected against 
the spread of fire. If enclosed in a separate com¬ 
partment the walls and ceilings shall be of Port¬ 
land cement plaster upon metal lath throughout the 
w^hole room, or of fire proof material. If the heat¬ 
ing apparatus is placed in an undivided cellar, this 
40 


fireproofing shall be required only on the ceiling. 
Such construction is required to be extended only 
over the boiler or heating apparatus itself and over 
a space of six feet outside of same in all directions. 
But if any wooden partitions are within six feet 
of said boiler and heating apparatus, such partitions 
shall be plastered with Portland cement plaster on 
metal lath. 

Section 76 (a). In all buildings other than first 
class not completely equipped with a system of 
automatic sprinklers, no single floor area between 
brick fire walls in a second class building shall 
exceed seven thousand five hundred square feet or 
in a mill frame building shall exceed five thousand 
square feet, with a full equipment of automatic 
sprinklers these areas may be increased 66 2-3 per 
cent. No floor area shall be increased by cutting 
through a fire wall unless said opening is protected 
by two self-closing standard fire doors, one on each 
side of wall. No single opening shall be of greater 
width than eight feet nor more than ten feet in 
height, and there shall be not less than two feet be¬ 
tween top of opening and ceiling line. The com¬ 
bined width of all openings in any one wall on one 
floor shall not exceed fifty per cent of the length 
of wall. 

(b). Except as above provided, the following 
classes of buildings enclosed by exterior and fire 
walls or by exterior walls, shall not be in excess of 
the following areas: 


41 


Third class, three thousand square feet. 

Fourth class, within fire limits, two thousand 
square feet. 

Fifth class, one family, one thousand five hun¬ 
dred square feet; more than one family, three 
thousand feet. 

Section 77. The required dimensions of each 
piece of material and of each form of construction 
to be used in buildings and allowable fibre stresses 
shall be computed according to rules prescribed by 
recognized modern authorities supplemented by 
those which may be promulgated by the Inspector. 

Section 78. (a). All roofs or floor timbers en¬ 
tering the same party wall from opposite sides shall 
have at least six inches of solid brick-work be¬ 
tween the ends of said timbers. 

(b) . All floor and roof timbers in mill con¬ 
struction shall rest on iron column caps and self 
releasing when supported by masonry walls. 

(c) . Every floor in second class buildings shall 
have its beams tied to walls and to each other with 
wrought iron straps or anchors at least three-eighths 
of an inch thick by one and one-half inches wide, 
and not less than eighteen inches long, so as to 
form continuous ties across the building not more 
than ten feet apart. Walls running parallel or 
nearly parallel with floor beams shall be properly 
tied every ten feet with straps or anchors as above 
specified. 


42 


(d) . Every wooden header or trimmer more 
than four feet long shall be carried on metal hang¬ 
ers or mortised and pinned. 

(e) . No floor timber to be cut at a greater dis¬ 
tance than three feet from support, nor more than 
one and one-half inches deep on the upper edge 
unless approved by the Inspector. Cutting on the 
under side will not be allowed. 

(f) . No main partition timber, girder or tie 
beam, of any kind, will be allowed to be cut for 
any reason. 

(g) . No fourth class structure shall have sills 
of timber smaller than six by six inches, posts or 
girts than four by six inches; girders six by eight; 
plate four by four inches; ledger boards one by 
seven inches. Posts not to exceed twenty-one feet 
in length and not over fifteen feet apart, braced at 
each story. Studs in outside walls shall be not less 
than two by four inches, set sixteen inches on cen¬ 
tres; window studding not less than three by four 
inches, all openings five feet or more in width, to 
be trussed. Interior bearing partitions to have 
studs not less than two by four inches set sixteen 
inches on centres, bridged double at all openings 
and trussed over and set directly on girder or caps. 
Floor timbers to be bridged every eight feet of span. 
No floor timbers sized to a greater depth than one 
inch. 

Section 79. All floor and stairs shall be so con- 
43 


structed as to carry safely the weight to which the 
proposed use of the building may subject them, 
and every permit granted shall state for what pur¬ 
pose the building is designed to be used, but the 
least capacity per superficial square foot, exclusive 
of materials, shall be: 

For floors of houses of habitation fifty pounds. 
Rooms in tenement or lodging houses and hotels 
exceeding 500 square feet, one hundred pounds. 

For floors of assembly halls, one hundred pounds. 

For floors of dance halls, one hundred pounds. 

For floors of school rooms, fifty pounds, except 
floors of assembly rooms or halls, one hundred 
pounds. 

For floors of light manufacturing, light storage, 
and light mercantile, one hundred and twenty-five 
pounds. 

For floors and offices above first floor eighty 
pounds, first floor one hundred pounds. 

For floors of heavy warehouses or mercantile,, 
two hundred pounds. 

For stairways, seventy-five pounds. 

For flat roofs, forty pounds. 

For floors of public garages, one hundred and 
fifty pounds. 

For buildings not included in the above table, 
the building inspector shall establish allowable live 
loads. 

The full floor load specified in this section shall 
44 


be included in proportioning all parts of buildings 
designed for warehouses or for heavy mercantile 
and manufacturing purposes. In other buildings, 
however, reductions may be allowed as follows: 

For girders carrying more than one hundred 
(100) square feet of floor, the live load may be re¬ 
duced ten (10) per cent. 

For columns, piers, walls and other parts carry¬ 
ing two floors, a reduction of fifteen (15) per cent 
of the total live load may be made; where three 
floors are carried, the total live load may be reduced 
by twenty (20) per cent; four floors, twenty-five 
(25) per cent; five floors, thirty (30) per cent. 

Section 80. All roofs must be covered with 
slate, tile, terra cotta, metal, or other material des¬ 
ignated by the National Board of Fire Underwriters 
as Class A or Class B, and have incombustible ridge 
and hip coverings, provided, however, on repair 
work a roof may be covered with fire resisting ma¬ 
terial satisfactory to the Inspector if in his opinion 
the design of said roof is such that a light weight 
covering is necessary. All gutters shall be of metal 
except that on ordinary frame buildings wooden 
gutters may be used if lined with 16 oz. copper. 

Section 81. No wooden construction of any sort 
except dormer windows, shall be allowed above the 
roof of any structure, in case it is desired to in¬ 
stall arrangements for drying clothes, the support¬ 
ing members shall all be of metal or metal covered 
throughout. 


45 


Section 82. All dormer windows shall be cov¬ 
ered with incombustible material throughout. Dor¬ 
mer windows in roofs of second class buildings may¬ 
be constructed with wooden walls, but must be cov¬ 
ered throughout with incombustible material, and 
have metal or incombustible cornices. Dormer win¬ 
dows in buildings of first class construction must be 
of first class construction throughout. 

Section 83. All skylight frames shall be of metal 
or metal covered. 

Section 84. The finish about doors and windows, 
also porches and piazzas may be constructed of and 
finished in wood, but the roofs of such covered pi¬ 
azzas or porches shall be as specified for the main 
roofs of houses. ^ 

Section 85. All buildings hereafter erected 
within eight feet of any street or travelled way, 
shall be provided with suitable leaders for con¬ 
ducting the water from the roof to the ground, and 
in no case shall such water be allowed to flow upon 
or across the surface of the sidewalk to the street, 
gutter or sewer. No person shall permit a leader 
or conductor from the roof of a building owned by 
him, to be so placed or maintained as to direct a 
volume of water upon or across the surface of a 
sidewalk. 

Section 86. All buildings hereafter erected upon 
the line, or within five feet of the line, of any street 
or public way, and having a pitch roof sloping 
46 


towards said street or way, shall be provided with 
suitable snow guards or barriers upon said roof 
sufficient to prevent the snow or ice sliding there¬ 
from. 

Section 87. No wooden or frame building ex¬ 
cept a fourth class building shall be hereafter 
erected in the fire limits, nor shall any wooden or 
frame building standing in said limits be added to, 
altered, raised, roofed, enlarged, or built upon, 
except as hereinafter provided. All such buildings 
within said limits shall be built with posts, girts 
and plates properly mortised, tenoned, braced and 
pinned in each story, and supported by suitable 
studding, the posts and girts to be not less than 
four by eight inches, or equivalent thereto. No 
ledger boards shall be used in place of girts where 
the posts exceed fifteen feet in height. 

No such fourth class building shall cover an 
area of more than two thousand square feet. 

Section 88. Whenever the Inspector receives 
notice of the intention to erect any building or alter 
the external walls of any building within the fire 
limits, within ten feet of the line of any street, he 
shall forthwith notify the City Council thereof, in 
order that any encroachment or other injury to the 
streets may be prevented and so that steps may be 
taken to widen or improve such streets if deemed 
desirable. 

Section 89. No wooden or frame building which 
47 


exceeds eighteen feet in height shall be removed 
from within or without said fire limits to any loca¬ 
tion within said limits, except with the consent of 
the City Council and provided further that the 
construction of such building after its removal, 
shall conform to the requirements for similar 
buildings to be erected within the fire limits. 

Section 90. No person shall build any portico, 
porch, bay window, balcony or other projection 
over the line of any street or way except that if 
the building is three or more stories in height, the 
cornice and belt courses may project over said line 
as follows: 

Cornice on such buildings may project over a 
public street or way not to exceed two feet. Such 
cornice shall be built entirely of incombustible ma¬ 
terial and be. strongly supported. 

All belt courses on such buildings when located 
at least twelve feet above the sidewalk level, may 
project over a public way or street not to exceed 
twelve inches and to be entirely of incombustible 
material. 

Section 91. (a). Frame or other buildings may be 
altered, extended, raised or repaired, providing the 
new portions comply with provisions for new build¬ 
ings and if, when done, will produce a practically 
new building or the class of building has been 
changed, then the whole building shall be made to 
conform to the requirements of this ordinance for 
a new building of a like class. 

48 


(b). Walls of existing frame buildings within 
five feet of lot lines may be pierced, providing such 
openings are filled with metal or metal covered 
frames, sashes and wire glass. 

(c.) When it is proposed to increase the height 
of any existing masonry building, the thickness of 
all masonry walls shall conform to the requirements 
of this ordinance. If the thickness of walls are 
such that they must be increased by additional 
brickwork or masonry, the combined thickness of 
old and new work shall be not less than four inches 
more than the required thickness for a new wall of 
same height; the additional thickness shall be not 
less than eight inches and shall rest on and be 
supported by suitable foundations, it shall be 
thoroughly bonded into old work after same has 
been cleaned of old plaster or other covering and 
well soaked with water. 

Section 92. Whenever any building other than a 
dwelling shall, in the opinion of the Inspector of 
Buildings be damaged by fire or other cause to an 
amount exceeding fifty per cent of its value it shall 
not be rebuilt except in accordance with this ordi¬ 
nance. 

Section 93. No furnace for melting iron or mak¬ 
ing glass; and no stationary steam boiler from 
which power is to be taken, or any other fuel than 
coal or coke is to be used to create steam; and no 
stationary steam engine, shall be hereafter erected 
49 


or put up to be used in this city without a license 
first obtained from the City Council; provided, 
however, that no such license shall be required for 
such an engine unless the same is to be erected 
within five hundred feet of a dwelling house or 
public building. Such license may be granted on 
a written application, shall be recorded by the City 
Clerk in the records of the City, and shall prescribe 
such regulations as to the height of flues and pro¬ 
tection against fire as said Council deem neces¬ 
sary for the safety of the neighborhood. Upon ap¬ 
plication for such license, the City Council shall 
assign a time and place for the construction of the 
same, and cause at least seven days’ public notice 
thereof to be given, at the expense of the applicant, 
in such manner as they may direct, in order that all 
persons interested may be heard thereon. 

Section 94. All gas mains entering any building 
shall be equipped with shut off placed outside of 
foundation walls. Type of shut off and location 
to be satisfactory to the Inspector of Buildings. 

Section 95. No building shall be used for the 
purpose of picking, sorting or storage of rags, 
waste paper or paper stock unless such building 
is of first or second class construction. All win¬ 
dow openings shall have metal frames, sashes and 
glazed with wire glass. All doors and frames to 
be metal or metal covered. Ceilings in second 
class construction to be covered with metal lath 


50 


and cement plaster not less than ^ inch in thick¬ 
ness. No exposed wood work of any sort in the in¬ 
terior of the building. 

Section 96. The City Council may prescribe ad¬ 
ditional requirements for any buildings to be erected 
where the safety of life or property, or the public 
health is involved. Special requirements will also 
be made for buildings intended for places of as¬ 
sembly of any sort, or for the storage or sale of in¬ 
flammable materials or for the installation of baker¬ 
ies, garbage or ash receptacles, or other special con¬ 
struction. 

Section 97. Whoever desires to occupy or use a 
portion of the street or way for the erection, alter¬ 
ation, repair or removal of a building upon land 
abutting thereon shall make application to the In¬ 
spector, who, subject to the consent of the Commis¬ 
sioner of Streets, may grant permits for the occupa¬ 
tion or use, for building purposes, of such portions 
of streets or ways, and for such periods of time, and 
under such limitations and restrictions, as may be 
required by ordinance or by public convenience; 
and any such permit may be revoked by the said In¬ 
spector at any time when the holder thereof fails 
to comply with any rule or regulation under which 
it is granted, or when in the opinion of said Inspec¬ 
tor, the public good requires such revocation. No 
part of a street or way other than that so allotted 
shall be used for depositing materials for work to 


51 


be done or for receiving rubbish arising for such 
work, and all such rubbish shall be carried away 
by the person or persons to whom the permit is 
granted, at such convenient times as the Commis¬ 
sioner of Streets or the Inspector may direct, and 
in case of the neglect or refusal of such person or 
persons so to remove such rubbish, it shall be re¬ 
moved at their expense by the Commissioner of 
Streets. 

Section 98. When such permit is granted, the 
portion of a street thereby allotted shall be enclosed 
with a sufficient fence, not less than four feet high, 
and as much higher as the Inspector shall direct, 
and such fence shall be maintained during the whole 
time for which the occupation of such portion of 
the street continues, and until all liability to acci¬ 
dent from falling material ceases, and a lighted 
lantern or lanterns, or other proper and sufficient 
lights, shall be attached to some part or parts of 
such fence, and shall be placed over or near all 
building materials or rubbish which of necessity 
are allowed to remain in any street or way over 
night; which lanterns or lights shall be kept 
lighted from sunset to sunrise every night that such 
fence, materials or rubbish remains in such street 
or way. 

Section 99. Whoever maliciously or wantonly, 
and without legal cause, extinguishes or diminishes 
a light fixed in accordance with the provisions of 
52 


the preceding section shall be liable to a penalty of 
not less than ten nor more than twenty dollars. 

Section 100. Whoever is duly licensed or per¬ 
mitted to occupy a part of the street, while erecting 
or repairing a building, or making an excavation, 
or for any other purpose, shall provide a safe and 
convenient passage for public travel around or over 
the obstruction so caused, shall be responsible to the 
City for all injuries sustained in consequence of 
his neglect so to do, and shall be liable to a pen¬ 
alty of not less than ten or more than twenty dol¬ 
lars for each offence; and he shall at any time, 
when required by the Commissioner of Streets or by 
a police officer, exhibit his license or permit for 
such occupation. 

Section 101. The Inspector of Buildings shall 
in addition to the authority granted in Section 4 of 
this ordinance, have the additional authority to 
enforce the following sections of Municipal Bul¬ 
letin No. 6, containing the 

HOUSING ORDINANCE 

Section 3. Height. No dwelling hereafter 
erected shall have more than one legally habitable 
story for each full ten feet of the width of the 
street, unless such house be set back from the street 
a distance equal to the excess of its height over that 
permitted at the street line. Width of street shall 
be measured from building line to building line. 

On a corner lot the height shall be governed by 
53 


the width of the wider street, as above, but this 
height shall not extend along the narrower street a 
distance greater than twice the width of said nar¬ 
rower street. 

On any street hotels may exceed the legal height 
of dwellings on said street by not more than two 
stories, but in no case shall a hotel or any other 
dwelling exceed seventy feet in height. 

Section 4. Yards. Immediately behind every 
dwelling hereafter erected there shall be a rear 
yard extending across the entire width of the lot 
and at every point open and unobstructed from the 
ground to the sky, except that in the case of hotels 
the rear yard may start at the floor level of the 
lowest bedroom story. Every part of such yard 
shall be directly accessible from every other part 
thereof. The depth of said yard shall be meas¬ 
ured at right angles from the extreme rear of the 
house towards the rear line of the lot. Where the 
rear of the lot abuts on a public alley or right of 
way dedicated to public use for the full width of 
the lot, the depth of the lot may be measured to the 
middle line of such alley or right of way; where 
there is no such alley or right of way the measure¬ 
ments shall be taken to the rear lot line. If the 
dwelling is four stories or less in height the depth 
of the yard in the case of interior lots shall be not 
less than ten feet, and the depth of the yard in the 
rear of corner lots shall be not less than five feet. 


64 


If the dwelling exceeds four stories in height, the 
depths above prescribed in the case of interior lots 
shall be increased five feet and in the case of corner 
lots shall be increased two feet for each story above 
four stories. In the case of corner lots with streets 
on three sides, the rear yard need not extend across 
the full width of the lot, but only to the median 
line. When a lot upon which a dwelling is built is 
bounded on every side by a street or abuts at the 
rear upon a railroad right of way, a cemetery or a 
public park, the rear yard may be omitted. Any 
portion of a corner lot distant more than seventy- 
five feet from the corner line shall be treated as an 
interior lot. 

When rear of tenements have their exposure on 
side line of lots there shall be left ten feet of open 
space betwen said tenement and said side line in ad¬ 
dition to the provision for rear yards. 

Section 5. Side Yards. A side yard shall be at 
every point open and unobstructed from the ground 
to the sky. Cornices are permitted but in no case 
shall they extend more than eighteen inches be¬ 
yond the building line. The width of the side yard 
for dwellings hereafter erected shall be as follows: 

(a) In the case of private dwellings and two- 
family dwellings of second, third, fourth or fifth 
class (See Salem Building Ordinance, Sections 21 
to 24 inclusive) which do not exceed two and one- 
half stories in height the width of such side yard 


55 


measured to the side lot line shall never be less than 
five feet in any part, 

(b) The provisions of this section do not apply 
to side yards on the side street of a corner lot ex¬ 
cepting the provision as to adjacent basement rooms. 

Section 6. Courts. The sizes of all courts in 
dwellings hereafter erected shall be proportionate 
to the height of the dwelling. No court shall be 
less in any part than the minimum sizes prescribed 
in this section except as provided in Section nine. 
The minimum width of a court for a dwelling two 
and one-half stories or less in height shall be ten 
feet, and the width shall increase one foot for each 
additional full story above five stories. The length 
of an inner court shall never be less than twice the 
minimum width prescribed by this section. The 
length of an outer court shall never be greater than 
four times its minimum width prescribed by this 
section. The depth of all courts adjoining the lot 
line shall be measured to the lot line and not to an 
opposite building. 

Section 7. Courts open at top. No court of a 
dwelling hereafter erected shall be covered by a 
roof or skylight but every court shall be at every 
point open from the ground to the sky unobstructed, 
“except that in the case of hotels, courts may start 
at the floor level of the lowest bed-room story; and 
in the case of other multiple-dwellings where there 
are stores or shops on the entrance story, courts may 


56 


start at the top of such entrance story.” 

Section 8. Air-Intakes for Courts. “In all 
dwellings hereafter erected every inner court shall 
be provided with one or more horizontal air-intakes 
at the bottom. One such intake shall always com- 
cunicate directly with the rear yard and shall con¬ 
sist of a passageway not less than three feet wide 
and seven feet high which shall be left open, or be 
provided with an open gate at each end.” 

Section 9. Extensions or Offsets to Courts. Ex¬ 
tensions or offsets to courts in dwellings hereafter 
erected are permitted for the purpose of lighting 
kitchenettes, pantries, bathrooms and water-closets 
only, but no such extension or offset shall be less 
than six feet in width in any part; its depth may 
be less but never greater than its width. Such di¬ 
mensions shall be deemed the minimum dimensions 
for a dwelling two and one-half stories in height 
or less, and shall increase one foot for each full 
story above two stories. 

Section 10. Angles in Courts. Nothing con¬ 
tained in the foregoing sections concerning courts 
shall be construed as preventing the cutting off of 
the corners of said courts, provided that the running 
length of the wall across the angle of such corner 
does not exceed seven feet. 

Section 11. If a dwelling house is built behind 
or in front of another dwelling house on the same 
lot there shall be left between the two buildings a 


57 


yard extending across the full width of the lot and 
the distance between the two buildings shall be not 
less than fifty per cent greater than the depth re¬ 
quired herein for a rear yard for a building of the 
height of the higher of the two buildings. There 
shall be behind the rear dwelling a rear yard as 
herein required, and if this rear yard does not have 
access directly to a street, alley or other public way 
then there shall be a passageway not less than ten 
feet wide leading from the yard between the two 
buildings directly to a street, alley or other public 
way. The rear dwelling house shall in no case be 
built to a greater height than is permitted for the 
front dwelling house. 

Where a dwelling is erected by the side of but 
not contiguous to another building on the same lot 
there shall be left between the two buildings a 
space equal to the side yard or yards herein re¬ 
quired for the two buildings. 

Section 12. Rooms, Lighting and Ventilation of. 
In every dwelling hereafter erected every room shall 
have at least one window opening directly upon the 
street, or upon a yard or court of the dimensions 
specfiied in this article and located on the same 
lot, and such window shall be so located as to 
properly light all portions of such room. This pro¬ 
vision shall not, however, apply to rooms used as 
art galleries, swimming pools, gymnasiums, squash 
courts or for similar purposes, nor to public rooms 


58 


in hotels, provided such rooms are adequately 
lighted and ventilated. 

Section 13. Window Area in Rooms. In every 
dwelling hereafter erected the total window area in 
each room shall be at least one-seventh of the su¬ 
perficial floor area of the room, and the whole win¬ 
dow shall be made so as to open in all its parts. At 
least one such window shall be not less than twelve 
square feet in area between the stop beads. In 
multiple-dwellings the top of at least one window 
shall be not less than seven feet above the floor. 

Section 14. Rooms, Size of. In every dwelling 
hereafter erected all rooms, except water-closet 
compartments and bath-rooms, shall be of the fol¬ 
lowing minimum sizes; every room shall contain at 
least ninety square feet of floor area; no room shall 
be in any part less than seven feet wide. In multi¬ 
ple-dwellings of Class A in each apartment, group 
or suite of rooms there shall be at least one room 
containing not less than one hundred and fifty 
square feet of floor area. 

Section 15. Room, Height of. No room in a 
two-family or multiple-dwelling hereafter erected 
shall be in any part less than eight feet high from 
the finished floor to the finished ceiling, except 
that a half-story room need be eight feet in height 
in but one-half of its area. 

Section 16. Alcove Rooms. Every alcove room 
in a dwelling shall have an opening into the main 


59 


room of not less than sixty per cent, of the length 
of the wall of the room on that side, and shall not 
exceed seven feet in depth. The height of the al¬ 
cove shall not be less than that of the room into 
which it opens. 

Section 17. Privacy. In every dwelling here¬ 
after erected, access to every living room and to 
every bedroom and to at least one water-closet 
compartment shall be had without passing through 
a bedroom. 

Section 18. Common Hallways, Lighting and 
Ventilation of. In every dwelling hereafter erected, 
except hotels, every common hallway and stair 
hallway shall have at each story at least one win¬ 
dow containing not less than twelve square feet 
opening, measured between stop beads, opening di¬ 
rectly upon the street or upon a yard or court of 
the dimensions specified in this ordinance and lo¬ 
cated on the same lot. Such window in a common 
hallway shall be at the end of said hallway with 
the natural direction of the light parallel to the 
hallway’s main axis. The top of such a window 
shall be not less than seven feet above the floor, and 
shall be made so as to open in all its parts. A sash 
door containing an equal amount of glazed surface 
shall be deemed the equivalent of a window in 
this section. In every multiple-dwelling three or 
more stories in height hereafter erected there shall 
be in the roof directly over each stair well a venti- 


60 


lating skylight provided with ventilators, having a 
minimum opening of forty square inches and with 
fixed or movable louvres. 

Section 19. Outjside Porches. In dwellings 
hereafter erected, roofed-over outside porches which 
extend above the top of the entrance story shall 
not be erected outside of and adjoining windows 
required by this ordinance for the lighting or ven¬ 
tilation of rooms or hallways; they may, however, 
open from windows or doors supplementary to 
these required by this ordinance, provided they do 
not diminish the required amount of light and ven¬ 
tilation of such rooms. The term “outside porches” 
shall include outside platforms, balconies and stair¬ 
ways. All such outside porches shall be considered 
as parts of the building and not as parts of the 
yards or courts or other unoccupied area. 

Section 22. Cellars, Damp Proofing and Light¬ 
ing of. In every dwelling hereafter erected the 
walls below the ground level and the cellar or low¬ 
est floor shall be made damp proof to the satisfac¬ 
tion of the Inspector of Buildings. All cellars in 
dwellings hereafter erected shall be properly 
lighted with windows and ventilated in all their 
parts to the satisfaction of the Board of Health, 
and shall not be occupied for living purposes. 

Section 25. Water-closets. In every dwelling 
hereafter erected there shall be a separate water- 
closet. Each such water-closet shall be placed in a 


61 


compartment entirely separated from every other 
water-closet; such compartment shall be not less 
than three feet wide, and shall be enclosed with 
partitions which shall extend to the ceiling. Every 
such compartment shall have a window opening di¬ 
rectly upon a street, or upon a yard or court of the 
minimum sizes prescribed by this ordinance and 
located upon the same lot. 

In two-family dwellings and in multiple-dwell¬ 
ings of Class A hereafter erected there shall be a 
separate water-closet arranged and constructed as 
above provided located within each apartment, 
suite or group of rooms; except that where there 
are apartments of but one or two rooms there shall 
be at least one water-closet for every two such 
apartments, and such water-closet shall not open 
into any apartment but shall be accessible through 
a common hallway, and the door thereof shall be 
provided with lock and keys, and such compartments 
and water-closet shall comply in all other respects 
with the provisions of this ordinance. 

Nothing contained in this section shall be so 
construed as to prohibit in any dwelling a general 
toilet room containing several water-closet com¬ 
partments separated from each other by dwarf par¬ 
titions, provided such toilet room is for the use of 
one sex only and is adequately lighted and venti¬ 
lated to the satisfaction of the Board of Health, 
and that such water-closets are supplemental to the 


62 


water-closet accommodations required by other pro¬ 
visions of this section. In multiple-dwellings every 
water-closet compartment shall be provided with 
proper means of lighting the same at night. No 
drip trays shall be permitted on any water-closet. 
No water-closet fixture shall be enclosed with any 
woodwork. No water-closet shall be placed out 
of doors; nor in the cellar of any multiple-dwelling 
without a written permit from the Board of Health, 
and then only in case such cellar closet is lighted 
and ventilated as provided in Sections twelve and 
thirteen. 

Section 27. Percentage of Lot Occupied. No 
dwelling shall hereafter be enlarged or its lot di¬ 
minished, or other building placed on its lot, so 
that a greater percentage of the lot shall be occu¬ 
pied by buildings or structures than provided in 
Section 27 of the Salem Building Ordinance. 

Section 29. Yards. No dwelling shall hereafter 
be enlarged or its lot be diminished, or other build¬ 
ing placed on the lot, so that the rear yard or side 
yard shall be less in size than the minimum sizes 
prescribed in Sections four and five of this ordi¬ 
nance for dwellings hereafter erected. 

Section 30. New Courts in Existing Dwellings. 
Any court hereafter constructed in a dwelling 
erected prior to the passage of this ordinance used 
to light or ventilate rooms or water-closet compart¬ 
ments shall comply in all respects with the require- 


63 


ments o£ Sections six to ten of this ordinance. 

Section 31. Additional Rooms and Hallways. 
Any additional room or hallway that is hereafter 
constructed or created in a dwelling shall comply 
in all respects with the provisions of Part 2 of this 
ordinance, except that it may be of the same height 
as the other rooms on the same story of the dwelling. 

Section 32. Lighting and Ventilation. No 
dwelling shall be so altered or its lot diminished 
that any room or common hallway or stairs shall 
have its light or ventilation diminished in any way 
not approved by the Board of Health. 

Section 33. Alcove Rooms. No part of any 
room in a dwelling shall hereafter be enclosed or 
sub-divided so as to make an alcove room, unless 
such room complies with the requirements of Sec¬ 
tion sixteen of this ordinance. 

Section 34. Skylights. All skylights hereafter 
placed in a multiple-dwelling shall be provided 
with ventilators having a minimum opening of 
forty square inches and also with either fixed or 
moveable louvres or with movable sashes, and shall 
be of such size as may be determined to be practic¬ 
able by the Board of Health. 

Section 35. Water-closet Accommodations. 
Every water-closet hereafter placed in a dwelling, 
except one provided to replace a defective or an¬ 
tiquated fixture in the same location, shall comply 
with the provisions of Section twenty-four of this 


64 


ordinance relative to water-closets in dwellings 
hereafter erected. Except that in the case of a new 
water-closet installed on the top floor of an ex¬ 
isting dwelling, a ventilating skylight open to the 
sky may be used in lieu of the window required by 
Section twenty-four. 

Section 40. Shafts and Courts. In every mul¬ 
tiple-dwelling there shall be at the bottom of every 
shaft and interior court a door giving sufficient 
access to such shaft or court to enable it to be 
properly cleaned; provided that where there is al¬ 
ready a window giving proper access to such shaft 
or court, such window shall be deemed sufficient. 

Section 41. The Board of Health may require 
that common hallways in multiple-dwellings be 
lighted during such hours of the day or night as in 
their opinion may be necessary. 

Section 42. Water-closets in Cellars. No water- 
closet shall be permitted in the cellar of any mul¬ 
tiple-dwelling, except as provided in Section twen¬ 
ty-four. 

Section 43. Basement and Cellar Rooms. The 
provisions of the Salem Building Ordinance, Sec¬ 
tion 39 to apply. 

Section 44. Water-closets and Sinks. In all 
dwellings the floor or other surface beneath and 
around water-closets and sinks shall be maintained 
in sanitary condition to the satisfaction of the 
Board of Health. 


65 


Section 45. Repairs and Drainage. Ever^r 
dwelling and all the parts thereof shall be kept in 
sanitary condition and all rain water shall be so 
drained and conveyed therefrom as not to cause 
dampness in the walls and ceilings. 

Section 46. Water Supply. Every dwelling 
shall have within it at least one proper sink with 
running water furnished in sufficient quantity at 
one or more places exclusive of the basement and 
cellar. In two family dwellings and multiple- 
dwellings of Class A there shall be at least one 
such sink, accessible to each family on the floor 
occupied by said family without passing through 
any other apartment. 

Section 47. Cleanliness of Dwelling. The owner 
or occupants of every dwelling shall cause every 
part of such dwelling to be kept clean and free 
from any accumulation of dirt, filth, garbage or 
other refuse matter in or on the same, or in the 
passages, areas, yards, courts and alleys appurte¬ 
nant thereto. Such owner or occupant shall thor¬ 
oughly cleanse or cause to be cleansed any part of 
such dwelling or premises whenever ordered so to 
do by the Board of Health. 

Section 48. Receptacles for Ashes, Garbage and 
Rubbish. The owner or occupants of every dwell¬ 
ing shall provide and maintain for said dwelling 
proper and suitable water-tight metal receptacles, 
with covers, for holding garbage. Chutes and bins 
for garbage are prohibited. 

66 


Section 49. Prohibited Uses. (Regarding Ani¬ 
mals). The provisions of the Salem Board of 
Health Rules and Regulations, Regulations 39 and 
40 to apply. 

Section 50. Materials detrimental to Health. No 
dwelling nor any part thereof, nor of the lot upon 
which it is situated, shall be used as a place of 
storage, keeping or handling of any article danger¬ 
ous or detrimental to life or health. 

Section 51. Certain Dangerous Businesses. 
There shall be no transom, window or door opening 
into a common hallway from any part of a multi¬ 
ple-dwelling where paint, oil, drugs or spirituous 
liquors are stored or kept for the purpose of sale or 
otherwise. This provision shall not apply to hotels. 

Section 52. Janitor or Housekeeper. In any 
multiple-dwelling in which the owner thereof does 
not reside, there shall be a janitor, housekeeper or 
other responsible person who shall have charge of 
the same, if the Board of Health shall so require. 

Section 53. Overcrowding. The provisions of 
the Salem Board of Health Rules and Regulations, 
Regulation 25 to apply. 

Section 54. Lodgers. No dwelling, nor any part 
thereof, shall be used for the letting of more than 
six lodgings without the consent in writing of the 
Board of Health, and except in multiple-dwellings 
of Class B such consent, shall not apply to more 
than eight persons. 


67 


Section 55. Lot requirements. In addition to 
the requirements of Sections two to five inclusive of 
the Building Ordinance, before the construction or 
alteration of a dwelling is commenced, and before 
the construction or alteration of any building or 
structure on the same lot with a dwelling, the owner 
or his agent or architect shall submit to the City 
Engineer and Building Inspector a plan of the lot 
showing the dimensions of the same, the location 
of the proposed building and all other buildings on 
the lot, such plan to be made upon blanks or forms 
to be furnished by the Building Inspector. 

After such plan has been approved by the Build¬ 
ing Inspector the area of land described in such 
plan shall be deemed a lot for the purposes of this 
ordinance; excepting that in every case the size and 
dimensions of such lot shall be such as to comply 
with the other requirements of the ordinances. 

Section 56. Buildings converted or altered. A 
building not a dwelling if hereafter converted or 
altered to such use, shall when so altered conform 
to the requirements for new construction and shall 
thereupon become subject to all the provisions of 
this ordinance relative to dwellings hereafter erect¬ 
ed. A dwelling of one class if hereafter altered or 
converted to another class shall, when so altered, 
conform to all the provisions of this ordinance rela¬ 
tive to such other class. 

Section 57. Alterations and change in occupan- 


68 


cy. No dwelling hereafter erected shall at any 
time be altered so as to be in violation of any pro¬ 
vision of this ordinance. And no dwelling erected 
prior to the passage of this ordinance shall at any 
time be altered so as to be in violation of those pro¬ 
visions of this ordinance applicable to such dwell¬ 
ing. If any dwelling or any part thereof is occu¬ 
pied by more families than provided in this ordi- 
. nanc!^, or is erected, altered or occupied contrary 
to the. provisions of this ordinance, the Board of 
Health shall cause such dwelling to be vacated. 
And. such dwelling shall not again be occupied un¬ 
til it or its occupation, as the case may be, has been 
made to conform to the law. 

Section 102. Whoever violates any of the pro¬ 
visions of this ordinance shall be liable to a penalty 
not exceeding one hundred dollars for each viola¬ 
tion thereof, unless another penalty is herein spe¬ 
cifically provided. 

Section 103. All ordinances or parts of ordi¬ 
nances inconsistent with the foregoing are hereby 
repealed. 

A true copy. 

Attest'. J. Clifford Entwisle, City Clerk. 


69 


INDEX TO BUILDING OBDINANCE 


Section 

(( 

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ii 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

(( 

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6i 

a 

ii 

a 

a 

(( 

(( 

(6 

ii 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

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a 

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1. Intent of ordinance . 

2. Inspector of buildings . 

3. Permit required . 

4. Form of application . 

5. Stamped drawings on premises... 

6. Plans to be filed . 

7. Inspectors power to stop work .... 

8. Intent of permit . 

9. Plans prepared by . 

10. Inspector to examine balls, etc. ... 

11. Inspector to examine egresses .... 

12. Outer doors in public buildings ... 

13. Builders’ licenses . 

14. Inspection of concrete . 

15. Decision of Inspector .. 

16. Methods of construction . 

17. Ordinance do not apply . 

18. Regulations of District Police .... 

19. Fire limits .. 

20. Meaning of terms used . 

21. Buildings conform to requirements 

22. First and second class . 

23. Third class building . 

24. Fourth class building. 

25. Fifth class building . 

26. Sixth class building . 

27. Miscellaneous classes . 

28. Stables ... 

29. Area of lot covered . 

30. Excavations . 

31. Test of soil . 

32. Foundations . 

33. Piles . 

34. Metal in foundation . 

35. Foundations of frame buildings... 


16 

16 

18 

19 

19 

20 
20 
20 
21 
21 
22 
22 

23 

24 
24 


70 


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66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 


66 

66 

66 

66 

66 

66 


36. Foundations of masonry buildings.. 25 

37. Mortar . 26 

38. Brick building . 26 

39. Wall thickness of tenements. 27 

40. Wall thickness of warehouses - 28 

41. Height of stories . 28 

42. Width of warehouse class. 29 

43. Walls anchored . 29 

44. Doors in party walls . 30 

45. Vertical recesses . 30 

46. Isolated piers . 31 

47. Cross walls . 31 

48. Clear span . 31 

49. Excess area flues . 32 

50. Fire and party walls . 32 

51. Eoof and floor timbers . 32 

52. Lintels . 32 

53. Lintels . 32 

54. Sprinkler system . 33 

55. Chimneys . 33 

56. Funnel receivers . 34 

57. Chimneys . 35 

58. Kanges and boilers . 35 

59. Deposition of ashes . 35 

60. Location of ranges, etc. 35 

61. Woodwork 1 in. from chimneys .... 36 

62. Egress in all buildings . 36 

63. Egress in third class buildings- 36 

64. Egress in mill buildings. 36 

65. Openings in floors . 37 

66. Fire escapes . 37 

67. Bay windows . 37 

68. Wall covering . 37 

69. Metal sashes and wire glass . 37 

70. Metal sashes and vnre glass . 38 

71. Walls & ceiling of 5th class build¬ 

ing . 38 

72. Fire stopping . 39 

73. Fire stopping . 39 

74. Fire stopping shafts . 40 

75. Fire stopping furnaces . 40 

76. Sprinkler systems . 41 

77. Fibre stresses . 42 


71 








































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78. General frame construction. 42 

79. Allowable live loads . 43 

80. Eoof covering* materials . 45 

81. Wood above roofs . 45 

82. Dormer windows . 46 

83. Skylights . 46 

84. Piazzas . ' 46 

85. Water across sidewalks not allowed 46 

86 . Snow g*uards . 46 

87. Frame buildings in fire limits - 47 

88 . Erection of buildings within 10' 0" 

of street line . .. 47 

89. Moving of buildings within fire lim¬ 

its . 47 

90. Projections over street lines . 48 

91. Frame or other buildings altered, 

extended or raised . 48 

92. Buildings damaged by fire . 49 

93. Erection of steam boilers etc. re¬ 

quire permit from City Council.. 49 

94. Shut off on gas mains . 50 

95. Building for storage of waste paper, 

rags, etc. 50 

96. Additional requirements prescribed 

by City Council . 51 

97. Occupation of streets for building 

purposes . 51 

98. Street permits . 52 

99. Extinguishing lights on street pro¬ 

tection & fines . 52 

100 . Safe and convenient travel for pub¬ 

lic . 53 

101 . Authority to enforce Housing Ordi¬ 

nance . 53 

102 . Penalty .. 53 

103. Ordinances repealed . 54 


72 

























SECTIONS RELATING TO HOUSING ORDINANCE 


Section 

(( 

a 

i6 

ii 

(( 

4( 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

k4 

44 

44 

4k 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 

44 


3. Height . 53 

4. Yards . 54 

5. Side Yards . 55 

6. Courts . 56 

7. Courts open at top . 56 

8. Air-Intakes for Courts . 57 

9. Extensions or Oifsets to Courts .... 57 

10. Angles in Courts . 57 

11. Yards in relation to dwelling*. 57 

12. Rooms, Lighting and Ventilation of 58 

IS. Window Area in Rooms .. 59 

14. Rooms, Size of . 59 

15. Rooms, Height of . 59 

16. Alcove Rooms . 59 

17. Privacy . 60 

13. Common Hallways, Light and Ven¬ 

tilation of . 60 

19. Outside Porches . 61 

22. Cellars, Damp Proofing and Light¬ 
ing of . 61 

25. Water Closets . 61 

27. Percentage of Lot occupied. 63 

29. Yards . 63 

30. New Courts in Existing Dwellings . 63 

31. Additional Rooms and Hallways .. 64 

32. Lighting and Ventilation . 64 

33. Alcove Rooms . 64 

34. Skylights . 64 

35. 'Water-closet Accommodations. 64 

40. Shafts and Courts . 65 

41. Hallways Lighted . 65 

42. Water-closets in Cellars . 65 

43. P.asement and Cellar Rooms. 65 

44. Water-closets and Sinks. 65 

45. Repairs and Drainage . 66 

46. Water Supply . 66 

73 
































Section 47. Cleanliness of Dwelling. 66 

“ 48. Receptacles . 66 

“ 49. Prohibited Uses . 67 

“ 50. Materials Detrimental to Health, .. 67 

“ 51. Certain Dangerous Businesses .... 67 

“ 52. Janitor or Housekeeper . 67 

“ 53. Overcrowding . 67 

“ 54. Lodges . 67 

“ 55. Lot Requirements . 68 

“ 55. Buildings Connected or Altered ... 68 

“ 57. Alterations and Charges in Occu¬ 
pancy . 68 


74 












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